Ghatkopar hoarding collapse: Why the delay in clearing crash site?

The site of the hoarding collapse at Ramabai Nagar in Ghatkopar East on Tuesday. Pics/Rajendra B. Aklekar

Clearing the site in Ghatkopar where a 120x120-foot billboard fell on a petrol pump is proving to be a tricky affair for authorities as they have been unable to use gas cutters owing to the presence of the crushed fuel station and vehicles, which could cause the entire area to be engulfed in flames.

The hoarding collapse in Ghatkopar has left 14 citizens dead, and with work taking place at a slow pace owing to limitations, it is still unknown if there are more bodies under the massive debris comprising mangled steel and concrete. Metal parts are being split by hydraulic cutters, taken away from the site and then broken down using gas cutters.

When mid-day visited the site on Tuesday afternoon, the main structure of the hoarding was still untouched and numerous crushed vehicles were still in place. Teams from various government organisations were roped in for the clearance and had begun working along with multiple excavators, cranes and hydra at the site. "The removal of loose metal, pillars and structures is in progress. Only once all of it is cleared and cut into small pieces will the main frame that crushed the petrol pump be touched. It will take more than 72 hours to get the site cleared," an official said.

This site adjoins a colony of the Government Railway Police (GRP), which is the custodian of the collector land on which the hoarding had been installed. "This is challenging work as there is an underground fuel tank," said an official who is monitoring this operation. "We can't use gas cutters, as there are fuel tanks, so we are using vehicle-mounted hydraulic cutters, which are mainly used for cutting fabrications," the official added.

Officials from the Mumbai Fire Brigade who were present at the spot told mid-day that a few vehicles were stuck under the structure. The National Disaster Response Force confirmed that chances are slim that people are stuck under the collapsed part. But we are working carefully as cars are still stuck there," the officials added. A former Pantnagar corporator, Rakhi Jadhav, said, "The rescue work is progressing slowly, and there is a possibility that people are still stuck under the hoarding."

An official said, "We are continuing to spray water on the site." Municipal Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani said a high-level investigation had been launched into the incident. "The BMC was aware of the illegality of the billboard in Ghatkopar and has been looking at various letters with agencies for the past two years. Irrespective of the ownership of the land, permissions have to be taken from the BMC as per the law, and the agencies had not obtained the necessary permissions," he said.

Asked who had issued permissions for the billboard, he said, "They were granted by the assistant commissioner of police (administration) of the Government Railway Police, which falls under the Maharashtra government."

14
No of people killed in mishap